A System of Pragmatic Idealism, Volume III

A System of Pragmatic Idealism, Volume III
Author: Nicholas Rescher
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2014-07-14
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 140086383X

This is the third and final volume of A System of Pragmatic Idealism, a series that will synthesize the life's work of the philosopher Nicholas Rescher. Rescher's numerous books and articles, which address almost every major philosophical topic, reflect a unified approach: the combination of pragmatism and idealism characteristic of his thinking throughout his career. The three related but independently readable books of the series present Rescher's system as a whole. In combining leading ideas of European continental idealism and American pragmatism in a new way, Rescher has created an integrated philosophical position in which the central concepts of these two traditions become a coherent totality. The initial volume in the series was dedicated to epistemology, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of nature, while the second dealt with issues of value theory, ethics, and practical philosophy. In Volume III Rescher examines the nature of philosophical inquiry itself, seeking to affirm the classical conception of philosophy as a significant problem-solving enterprise that draws on the whole range of human experience to attempt to resolve the "big questions." Originally published in 1994. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Pragmatic Idealism and Scientific Prediction

Pragmatic Idealism and Scientific Prediction
Author: Amanda Guillán
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2017-08-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319630431

This monograph analyzes Nicholas Rescher’s system of pragmatic idealism. It also looks at his approach to prediction in science. Coverage highlights a prominent contribution to a central topic in the philosophy and methodology of science. The author offers a full characterization of Rescher’s system of philosophy. She presents readers with a comprehensive philosophico-methodological analysis of this important work. Her research takes into account different thematic realms: semantic, logical, epistemological, methodological, ontological, axiological, and ethical. The book features three, thematic-parts: I) General Coordinates, Semantic Features and Logical Components of Scientific Prediction; II) Predictive Knowledge and Predictive Processes in Rescher’s Methodological Pragmatism; and III) From Reality to Values: Ontological Features, Axiological Elements, and Ethical Aspects of Scientific Prediction. This insightful analysis offers a critical reconstruction of Rescher’s philosophy. The system he created is often characterized as pragmatic idealism that is open to some realist elements. He is a prominent representative of contemporary pragmatism who has made a great deal of contributions to the study of this topic. This area is crucial for science and it has been little considered in the philosophy of science.

A System of Pragmatic Idealism, Volume II

A System of Pragmatic Idealism, Volume II
Author: Nicholas Rescher
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 279
Release: 2014-07-14
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1400863120

This is the second of the three volumes of A System of Pragmatic Idealism, a series that will synthesize the life's work of the philosopher Nicholas Rescher. Rescher's numerous books and articles, which address almost every major philosophical topic, reflect a unified approach: the combination of pragmatism and idealism characteristic of his thinking throughout his career. The three related but independently readable books of the series present Rescher's system as a whole. In combining leading ideas of European continental idealism and American pragmatism in a new way, Rescher has created an integrated philosophical position in which the central concepts of these two traditions become a coherent totality. The initial volume in the series was dedicated to epistemology, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of nature. In The Validity of Values, Rescher sets out a normative theory of rationality. Looking at issues of value theory, ethics, and practical philosophy, this second volume of the trilogy has as its theme the utility of values for a proper understanding of ourselves and the world we live in. Rescher's key thesis, which is argued from various angles and points of departure, is that rationality as such and in general is bound up with the theory and practice of rational evaluation. The third volume of the series will deal with the nature of philosophical inquiry itself. Originally published in 1993. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Pragmatic Idealism

Pragmatic Idealism
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 287
Release: 2023-05-15
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 900445764X

The System of Pragmatic Idealism is of special importance for Nicholas Rescher's philosophical work, because here he has presented the systematic approach at once. Dedicated to his 70th birthday a group of European and U.S-american philosophers discuss the main topics of Rescher's philosophical system. The contributions which are presented here for the first time and Nicholas Rescher's responses cover the most important topics of philosophy and give a deep and detailed insight into the strenght of Rescher's pragmatic idealism. This volume is of interest for philosophers studying Rescher's philosophy and for all those who are interested in systematic philosophy and the vividnes of pragmatism and idealism in present philosophy.

Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Philosophers

Biographical Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Philosophers
Author: Stuart Brown
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 984
Release: 2012-09-10
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1134927959

This Biographical Dictionary provides detailed accounts of the lives, works, influence and reception of thinkers from all the major philosophical schools and traditions of the twentieth-century. This unique volume covers the lives and careers of thinkers from all areas of philosophy - from analytic philosophy to Zen and from formal logic to aesthetics. All the major figures of philosophy, such as Nietzsche, Wittgenstein and Russell are examined and analysed. The scope of the work is not merely restricted to the major figures in western philosophy but also covers in depth a significant number of thinkers from the near and far east and from the non-European Hispanic-language communities. The Biographical Dictionary also includes a number of general entries dealing with important schools of philosophy, such as the Vienna Circle, or currents of thought, such as vitalism. These allow the reader to set the individual biographies in the context of the philosophical history of the period. With entries written by over 100 leading philosophy scholars, the Biographical Dictionary is the most comprehensive survey of twentieth-century thinkers to date. Structure The book is structured alphabetically by philosopher. Each entry is identically structured for ease of access and covers: * nationality * dates and places of birth and death * philosophical style or school * areas of interest * higher education * significant influences * main appointments * main publications * secondary literature * account of intellectual development and main ideas * critical reception and impact At the end of the book a glossary gives accounts of the schools, movements and traditions to which these philosophers belonged, and thorough indexes enable the reader to access the information in several ways: * by nationality * by major areas of contribution to philosophy e.g. aesthetics * by major influences on the thinker concerned e.g. Plato, Kant, Wittgenstein

Big Citizenship

Big Citizenship
Author: Alan Khazei
Publisher:
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2011-12-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1610390520

Original publication and copyright date: 2010.

Reason, Truth, and Theology in Pragmatist Perspective

Reason, Truth, and Theology in Pragmatist Perspective
Author: Paul D. Murray
Publisher: Peeters Publishers
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2004
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9789042914520

In this work Paul Murray explores which style of rationality is most appropriate to Christian theology in the contemporary pluralist, postfoundationalist, postmodern context. At its heart is a fresh consideration of the American pragmatist tradition, focussing on the writings of Richard Rorty and Nicholas Rescher. Where Rorty correctly diagnoses the failures of foundationalist "objectivism", Rescher's "pragmatic idealism" is presented as healing the ills in Rorty's own neo-pragmatism. The significant resonance between Rescher's view of rationality and Christian understanding of the trinity is explored. In turn, Donald MacKinnon's influential writings are presented as exemplifying just such an approach to theology. Murray both articulates an enriched form of Christian postliberalism, committed to receiving and learning from other traditions of thought and practice and probes the claim that the dynamics of human rationality can be expected to reflect the Trinitarian dynamics of God's being. "Paul Murray presents us here with an exhaustive and insightful study of recent pragmatic theory, in which he sets up rhythms of healing and completion as well as interrogation... particularly remarkable is his exploration of Christianity as the deep and in some sense final interlocutor of pragmatic tradition. I strongly recommend this book." Olivier Davis, Professor of Christian Doctrine, King's College London. "This is a mature, wide-ranging work that by uniting the intellectual and the practical carries both rational and ethical conviction. It does equal justice to the classic teachings of Christianity and to the challenges to rethink them in dialogue with modern and postmodern approaches. The result is a conception of Christianity both generously orthodox and deeply engaged with contemporary life and thought. It is especially good to see the profound contribution of Donald MacKinnon understood and developed with such perception and relevance." David F. Ford, Regius Professor of Divinity, University of Cambridge. Paul Murray is currently Lecturer in Systematic Theology within the Department of Theology at the University of Durham, England. He has previously held posts at St Cuthbert's Seminary, Ushaw College, Durham and Newman College of Higher Education, Birmingham. Essays of his exploring issues in philosophical theology, science and theology and contemporary Roman Catholic theology have appeared in leading journals and edited collections. This is his first monograph.

New Approaches to Scientific Realism

New Approaches to Scientific Realism
Author: Wenceslao J. Gonzalez
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
Total Pages: 465
Release: 2020-08-24
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 3110664739

Scientific realism is at the core of the contemporary philosophical debate on science. This book analyzes new versions of scientific realism. It makes explicit the advantages of scientific realism over alternatives and antagonists, contributes to deciding which of the new approaches better meets the descriptive and the prescriptive criteria, and expands the philosophico-methodological field to take in new topics and disciplines.

Cognitive Pragmatism

Cognitive Pragmatism
Author: Nicholas Rescher
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2017-03-13
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0822970589

In Cognitive Pragmatism, Nicholas Rescher tackles the major questions of philosophical inquiry, pondering the nature of truth and existence. In the authoritative voice and calculated manner that we've come to expect from this distinguished philosopher, Rescher argues that the development of knowledge is a practice, pursued by humans because we have a need for its products. This pragmatic approach satisfies our innate urge as humans to make sense of our surroundings.Taking his discussion down to the level of particular details, and addressing such topics as inductive validation, hypostatization fallacies, and counterfactual reasoning, Rescher abandons abstract generalities in favor of concrete specifics. For example, philosophers usually insist that to reason logically from a counterfactual, we must imagine a possible world in which the statement is fact. But Rescher argues that there's no need to attempt to accept the facts of a world outside our cognition in order to reason from them. He shows us how we can use our own natural system of prioritizing, our own understanding of the fundamental, to resolve the inconsistencies in such statements as, "If the Eiffel Tower were in Manhattan, then it would be in New York State." In using dozens of real-world examples such as these, and in arguing in his characteristically succinct style, Rescher casts light on a wide variety of concrete issues in the classical theory of knowledge, and reassures us along the way that the inherent limitations on our knowledge are no cause for distress. In pragmatic theory and inquiry, we must accept that the best we can do is good enough, because we only have a certain (albeit large) set of tools and conceptualizations available to us.A unique synthesis, this endeavor into pragmatic epistemology will be of interest to scholars and students of philosophy and cognitive science.